Electron static discharge (ESD) generally results in a merely unpleasant sensation to the human body, but it can be very damaging to electronic devices, thereby causing the malfunction thereof, and internal circuit damage, etc.
Also, ESD brings about the problem of pollution, such as fine floating particles, in semiconductor devices, which results in faulty semiconductor chips.
In order to overcome such a problem, antistatic or conductive flooring materials are used in clean rooms, electronic device assembly, laboratories, areas for installing computer and other electronic devices, and medical equipment. Also, conductive flooring materials are increasingly used in areas in which there is a danger of fire or explosion.
Conventionally, the conductive flooring materials can have improved properties, i.e., reduced electrical resistance, by the use of a conductive plasticizer and conductive carbon.
The conductive plasticizer can be used to enhance the electrical conductivity of the flooring materials to provide easy product preparation and various product appearances. However, it is expensive and its migration is occurred, which is difficult to retain its properties for a long-term period.
Meanwhile, although the conductive carbon is cheap and its migration is not occurred, it has problems of difficulty in preparation of products and providing good appearance due to its inherent black color.